


Accidental Discoveries

by Feeling_the_Aster



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, First Maribat Attempt, First Meetings, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, MariBat, Secret Identity, developing feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:09:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28836105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feeling_the_Aster/pseuds/Feeling_the_Aster
Summary: Damian knows about Marinette, but she has no idea. Meanwhile, she has only heard of him.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Comments: 16
Kudos: 345





	Accidental Discoveries

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BadWolfTen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolfTen/gifts).



> This is part of a late gift exchange and was partially inspired by Love O2O (the drama series) as the events that occur are similar to how Xiao Nai and Bei Wei Wei come to meet.
> 
> I feel like it's a little cringy, but I tried my best with this first attempt at Maribat, so I hope you enjoy it!

The first time he saw her, he was in Paris to gather intel. There had been a villain terrorizing the city – what he now knows as an akuma attack – and she was fighting back, decked out in a ladybug themed outfit. Her skills were unpolished, but effective enough when one’s weapon is a yo-yo and a random object that magically appears. The fact that she knew exactly what to do with the randomized object, however, is what caught his attention.

It wasn’t his intention to see what happened next. It happened so quickly, and she hadn’t noticed he was there since he was hidden in the darkness as a true Bat would be. She’d dropped down from a rooftop into an alley just in time for her to revert to her civilian form. After poking her head slightly out of the alley and looking from left to right, she took off. Damian understood the importance of a secret identity. After all, his father was very selective about who knew of their identities, including heroes. Her identity would just be another secret for him to keep and no one – not even she – would be the wiser.

Marinette just barely made it into the alleyway before her transformation dropped. The akuma fight had taken longer than she’d hoped, so she was now running late to meet up with Alya. Exiting the alley, she ran down the few blocks that remained between her and Alya’s place. She entered the home, unaware of the masked figure following and watching her from the rooftops.

The following night, Robin would work with Ladybug and Chat Noir to get more information about what he originally came to Paris for.

* * *

The next time he saw her, about two months had passed. He didn’t know her name or have a picture to use in combination with facial recognition software, so he knew nothing about her. Had her face not been revealed to him, he wouldn’t have known it was her.

She was in Gotham, along with the rest of her class, for a tour of Gotham University. He initially noticed the large group from a second-floor window after he walked out of one of his classes. Stepping off to the side of the hall to get out of the way of others, he came to a stop by the window. The class was being led by a guide in the direction of the cafeteria. Considering the time, they were most likely breaking for lunch. Spotting her by her pigtails, Damian saw the girl that has been clouding his mind bringing up the rear.

From what he could see, she seemed to be irritated. There were two blondes – one guy and one girl – on either side of her as well. While he assumed the guy was trying to calm her down, the girl appeared to be ranting. Turning away from the window, he proceeded to make his way out of the building.

* * *

Two months ago, things were just fine between her and the rest of the class. Marinette thought that all of this Lila nonsense had been put to rest. Apparently, she was wrong and the liar had only been on a hiatus. Thank goodness, she had Adrien and Chloe on her side to keep her sane. Where Adrien appealed to the peace-making side of her, Chloe appealed to the side that wanted to voice her frustration and tear into Lila.

They were less than a year away from being university students now. She would’ve thought that they’d be past this nonsense, especially after the first go-around during their first year of lycée. Instead, her classmates have gotten sucked back into her lies again.

Almost immediately after they found out about their trip to visit some American universities, the lies commenced. The trip? Oh, Lila had connections to help make it happen. Every city they were supposed to visit? She knew someone famous in each of them. Their final stop in Gotham? Not only did she brag about knowing the Wayne Family, but the youngest of the Wayne boys was her boyfriend. They were just keeping their relationship hush-hush.

When Marinette heard that last one, all she could do was scoff. Clearly, she didn’t value their ‘relationship’ a whole lot if she was willing to tell the whole class about it. Not that she believed the liar to begin with. Damian Wayne was a very private person. At least, that’s the impression Marinette got from the lack of media coverage on him. The few articles that spoke of him that she read from The Daily Planet, though, painted him as a no-nonsense, blunt person. Given this, she couldn’t imagine him ever wanting anything to do with a girl like Lila.

All of those lies occurred before the trip. Now, they are at their final destination and Lila is even worse with her lies in Gotham than she was in the previous cities. When the guide showing them around Gotham University wasn’t speaking, Lila was spouting words left and right to their classmates and they hung onto _every last word_.

This is why she remained at the back of the group and why her hands were balled up into fists at her sides. Chloe’s ranting about the constant lies didn’t help Marinette’s mood lighten any. Poor Adrien tried to lift her spirits, but he had no chance with Chloe in the mix. Oh, how she longed to be back at the hotel and disappear from the source of her sour mood.

* * *

Casually walking into the cafeteria, Damian ignored the whispers and stares of his peers. It was unusual for them to see him getting lunch on campus – or hang around campus for anything other than class for that matter.

Upon receiving his meal, he sat down at a table where he could inconspicuously watch Ladybug and her friends. The more he looked at her face, the more it amazed him how her identity wasn’t common knowledge. Granted, he knew of a couple of Kryptonians that managed that feat too.

He had finished eating by the time the French class was set to continue their tour. However, he overheard the girl he was keeping an eye on tell her friends that she would catch up with them since she had to use the restroom. They looked a little hesitant to leave her.

“What if we just wait for you instead?” the blonde girl suggested.

“Yeah,” the boy agreed. “It wouldn’t be right to leave you in a strange place, Marinette.”

 _So her name is Marinette…_ Damian pondered on that for a moment. _It suits her._

She smiled at her friends and shook her head. “Go ahead. Besides, if we all stayed behind, who knows if we would be able to find the class. I’ll text you and find out where you are.” The two reluctantly followed the rest of their class as she disappeared into the ladies’ room. Lingering until he saw her leave the restroom, Damian finally left the cafeteria a few paces behind her.

As typical for Gotham and the winter season, the sky was gray. The below-freezing temperature had everyone wrapped up in several layers. Snow already blanketed the ground, but more was predicted later in the afternoon. Of course, the walkways had been cleared by the school’s groundskeepers.

Damian spotted it before it even happened and shot forward. An icy patch remained on the sidewalk, waiting to cause unsuspecting students, faculty, and other visitors to slip. Marinette happened to be one of them. Managing to reach her in time, she fell backward into his arms instead of hitting the ground.

 _How unlucky for the lady of luck._ “Are you okay?”

She tilted her head up to see his face, showing him the ‘what just happened?’ look on her face. “Y-Yes, I’m fine… thank you.”

He helped her stand up properly before she turned around to continue catching up with her class. At least, that was the case until she stopped and pivoted on one foot to face him with a sheepish grin. “Um, could you direct me to the science and engineering building?”

“Follow me.”

She had only asked for directions but him leading her was good too. In fact, she probably still would’ve been lost trying to remember the directions, so this is for the best. Walking around the campus, Marinette didn’t know if she was just self-conscious being around a handsome guy that she didn’t know or if he was some sort of famous person, but she felt many eyes on her.

It was her friends that noticed her first. Adrien and Chloe ran over to her and started asking why it took her so long to find them before they realized someone unknown to them stood next to her. Marinette very briefly explained the situation and the two shook their heads in amusement.

Facing the student who helped her, she spoke, “Thank you again, um…” She paused a moment and continued, “I never got your name.”

“Damian,” he supplied.

“I’m Marinette and these are my best friends, Adrien and Chloe.” Her attention was temporarily drawn to her class as they started to move on. “Oh, I guess we should catch up with the rest of our class. It was nice meeting you, Damian!” Waving at him as she walked away, she smiled brightly while her two friends chatted in hushed voices.

Adrien glanced at Chloe. “You don’t think…? I mean, what are the chances?”

“This is Marinette we’re talking about. With her luck, it totally is him.” The smirk on Chloe’s face displayed how much she was enjoying this development. Lila’s ‘boyfriend’ apparently couldn’t be bothered to even say hi to her.

* * *

The French class was granted a free day the next day, provided that they stay in groups and don’t go any further than a couple of blocks from the hotel. A café was where Marinette and her friends decided to spend part of their day. She brought her design sketchbook and a pencil with her, hoping to get inspiration for a new outfit.

Marinette sat down at a table and cracked open her sketchbook while the two blondes went to order drinks. A moment later, a man passed by and sat in the chair behind her. He looked familiar, but where…? She let out a quiet gasp of realization. From the corner of her eye, she could see the reflection of his profile in the window and she was sure. He was the man from yesterday. Damian.

 _Of all the empty tables in here, why did he have to choose the one right behind me?_ Marinette could feel her cheeks heat up and her heart rate increase. Once Chloe and Adrien returned with their beverages, Adrien handed Marinette her coffee and the fashion designer tried to regain her composure.

Chloe managed to catch on to her momentary lack of chill and noticed Damian sitting at the next table. She put two and two together and tried her amused smile. Adrien, on the other hand, was clueless.

“Have you come across any inspiration for your next design yet?” the male asked.

Shaking her head, the dark-haired girl responded, “No, not yet. There were a few colors that caught my eye on the way here, but nothing for the shape of it.” With a glance around, something caught her eye in the café and the change in her thought process was visible in her eyes.

“Well, she’s onto something now,” Chloe commented as she and Adrien watch her scribble her idea onto paper.

Damian quietly huffed out a brief laugh. Since he at least knew her first name and the class she was in, he searched for information about the girl last night – on his own time, of course. He didn’t want his brothers to tease him any more than they already did. It didn’t take very long for him to find anything.

Her full name was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, age seventeen, and all the other basic information. A few years ago, she won a hat design contest held by Gabriel Agreste – father of her friend, Adrien. With her initials, the design contest, and hearing her conversation just now, he concluded that Marinette was MDC – the famous designer that his brother was obsessed with. He couldn’t wait to rub it in Tim’s face later that he knew the identity of MDC.

After hanging around the café for a half-hour, Damian decided it was time he left. Besides, he had somewhere he needed to be. Marinette’s eyes lifted from the page she was drawing on as he walked past and trailed after him as he exited the café.

* * *

Later that night, Robin and Red Hood stood on a rooftop across from the hotel the French class resided in. Robin held a pair of binoculars in his hands, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl that continues to fill his thoughts.

“So,” Red Hood started. “Care to explain why you’re so focused on this hotel?”

“I thought it would further irritate Red Robin if he knew that you got to see who MDC was before him,” the youngest of the two replied with a smirk.

Satisfied with the reason, Red Hood shrugged. “I’m always down for messing with Replacement.” There wasn’t much out there for them to do tonight anyway. They were only watching out for small-scale crimes tonight as it was their turn for unorganized crime watch. The others were handling cases with Batman.

About ten minutes later, the roof access door of the hotel opened. Marinette stepped out with her arms crossed to try retaining some warmth. She wore a coat and scarf, along with some other winter clothing items. However, that didn’t mean that the bitter chill of the Gotham air didn’t cut through her either.

To say she was glad for this to be the last stop of their college tour trip would be an understatement. Her classmates were driving her up a wall, despite having her two best friends with her to serve as a buffer. Exhaustion was creeping up on her from being around everyone nearly all day long for the past couple of weeks. She had hoped heading to the roof would be beneficial for dealing with the last few days of their trip. It didn’t last very long when she got an akuma alert on her phone.

“That’s her.” Robin nodded in her direction and passed the binoculars.

“Huh. She’s not exactly what I –,” Red Hood stopped himself short. “What’s that floating next to her?”

Taking back the binoculars, Robin took a look for himself. “It seems to be some kind of… _being_.”

Despite the distance between the two buildings, the vigilantes could still hear the French girl when she commanded, “Tikki, spots on!” They watched her transformation to Ladybug in astonishment. Well, Robin was more intrigued at the process than astonished.

“She’s that French superheroine too?! Man, what’s next?” Red Hood exclaimed.

“Tikki, Kaalki, unify!”

Red Hood threw his hands in the air. “Oh, come on! She’s got an upgrade too?” Robin sent a glare his way. “What? Don’t pretend you’re not envious of her magic powers too!” The sound of a yo-yo cord cut off any argument that would have occurred. Turning their heads, they saw her swinging across to them.

“Um, hi. Can I ask how much of that you just saw?” she asked with a nervous smile.

“Probably too much,” Red Hood deadpanned. Her eyes widened and her complexion paled. He hurriedly tried to reassure the girl. “But we won’t share. Not even with Batman.” She gave the older man a doubtful glance.

Sighing, Robin explained further, “What he means to say is that we understand the importance of secret identities and we won’t say anything, because it’s not our place.”

Marinette’s eyes flickered to Robin and something seemed to register in her mind. “Wait, you’re part of the Bats, aren’t you? Robin and Red Hood. Okay… well, I’m Ladybug. It’s great to meet you. I would stay to discuss this more, but I have an akuma to stop. Voyage!” A portal opened up, showing Paris on the other side of it. With a wave, she tossed her yo-yo through the portal and followed after it, the portal disappearing once she cleared it.

When Marinette returned to her hotel room after the fight, Chloe was still asleep just as she had been when she left. Laying down, she stared up at the ceiling and pondered why Robin seemed familiar to her. His hair and his voice… They reminded her of – suddenly, it was like a lightbulb switched on. She’s only come into contact with him twice but… Damian had to be Robin.

* * *

Finally, the last full day of the trip was upon them. The class was being allowed to sit in on a couple of lectures to round out their tour of Gotham University. They filed into a lecture hall for the first course they would attend and each claimed a seat. French students disbursed throughout the room, some of Gotham University’s students reconfigured where they would sit to accommodate their friend groups or because their usual seat had been taken.

Within the sea of students piling in, Marinette spots Damian and she tracks his movement across the front of the room. As he begins to ascend the stairs to find a seat, his eyes find hers and she quickly looks away.

Damian continues upward and stops at the row containing her and her friends. He clears his throat, causing her to look at him again, and gestures to the empty seat next to her. “May I?”

“Sure,” she managed to get out before abruptly facing forward, not daring to take a peek at him. If their eyes met again, her face would surely be flushed. Her heart was already pounding.

“I wouldn’t sit next to her if I were you.” Those words caused the thumping of her heart to cease and filled her with exasperation.

“I’ll sit wherever I like,” Damian responded, uninterested in Lila’s opinion.

Lila plastered a faux concerned look on her face. “I’m just warning you that you’re sitting next to a bully. She’s always had it out for me since we met.”

He found it hard to believe that Marinette was that type of person. She was Ladybug for goodness sake. Alas, he still continued the conversation to see how far this girl was willing to go, replying with a monotone voice. “And why would that be?”

“She’s jealous of me.” Marinette and her two friends scoffed beside him.

“What on Earth does Marinette have to be jealous of?” Chloe spoke up.

“My popularity, my connections with multiple celebrities – including Paris’ hero, Ladybug – and my boyfriend, Damian Wayne, are just a few things to mention,” Lila brags – ahem, lies.

When she dropped his name like that, many heads swiveled in their direction with wide eyes. His classmates whispered among themselves as they became curious about what he would say back, knowing that the girl was lying.

A sarcastically amused look made its way onto his face as he stood from his seat. “Tt. You call him your boyfriend, but you don’t even realize that he’s standing right in front of you.” Had he been able to see Marinette’s face, he would have seen how surprised and shocked she was. Chloe turned to Adrien with a smirk and said she told him so.

Meanwhile, Lila grasped at straws. “You’re not him. All of Bruce Wayne’s sons have blue eyes.”

“All of them except for me. My green eyes come from my mother. I have an ID I can show you as proof… or you could ask any of my classmates.” Everyone could see that he was enjoying knocking the liar down a few pegs. “If you dare to spit out a lie that uses my name again, you will be hearing from my family’s attorneys.”

The brunette took off back to her seat, ignoring everything being angrily said to her by her classmates. For a lie as simple as he was dating her, he couldn’t really sue, but she clearly didn’t know this and the threat was enough for her to turn tail and run.

“Um,” Marinette started, gaining his attention, but was unable to continue when the professor walked in and began to speak.

* * *

Upon being dismissed by the professor, Damian rose from his chair and grabbed Marinette’s wrist. He began to walk, forcing her to get up out of her seat and follow behind him. Exiting the lecture hall, he continued to pull her along to a secluded alcove that he tended to occupy when he had to take phone calls that pertained to his nighttime activities. It was silent between the two the entire time until they came to a stop.

Marinette spoke first. “About what happened earlier… thank you. In the few years that I’ve known her, she’s never been caught in the midst of a lie. My entire class, except for Adrien and Chloe, basically abandoned me because of her. Hopefully, they realize how terrible she is.”

“If they don’t realize it now, they’re all halfwits.” Silence returned between them as Damian could tell there was something else on her mind based on her expression.

“Um, I know about…” she paused and glanced around, then lowered her voice a little more. “I know about Robin.”

He appeared to be unfazed at her statement as he nodded. “Well, I know about Ladybug and MDC, as well. That makes us even, I suppose.” She almost asked how he knew about her being MDC but chalked it up to him being one half of Gotham’s famous Dynamic Duo.

“Then we keep each other’s secrets and go our own ways, I guess. I should get back to the rest of my class.” She hadn’t noticed that he was still holding onto her until she tried to walk away and got pulled back.

“Marinette. I want to see you again.” A moment passed. “I’ve never experienced feeling this way, but I know I don’t want this to be our last encounter. I’ll come to you if I have to. That is if you will allow me.”

“O-okay,” she stuttered.

They exchanged phone numbers and Damian took her back to her friends afterward. Before they parted ways, he briefly kissed her cheek and told her that he would see her off at the airport tomorrow. Adrien and Chloe immediately bombarded her with questions, causing a slight smile to form on Damian’s face as he left the group.

Eventually, Damian would tell her. He would tell her about the first time he laid eyes on her. How he already knew months prior to their first interaction that she was Ladybug. He would take her to the very rooftop he spotted her from and describe what it was like as he watched her fighting the akuma from that night. He would explain how he subconsciously knew in that moment that he had fallen for her.


End file.
